|
|
|
Working Visit to France. Quadripartite Meeting in Paris
Chronicle
March 18 - 19, 2005
|
March 18, 2005 13:50
Friday
|
PARIS.President Vladimir Putin arrived at Parisian airport Orly.
|
|
 |
March 18, 2005 14:35
Friday
|
France.President Vladimir Putin arrived in Paris.
|
|
In Orly airport Mr Putin was met by Claudie Haignere, Delegate Minister for European Affairs at the French Foreign Ministry.
They travelled in the car to the Elysee Palace.
In the courtyard, where a guard of honour stood at attention, the Russian President was warmly welcomed by French President Jacques Chirac.
|
|
March 18, 2005 15:00
Friday
|
Elysee Palace, Paris.The Russian and French Presidents met with Russian writers participating in the 25th Paris book salon.
|
|
The jubilee book forum which just opened is being held under the title “Russian spring”, and Russia is participating as an honoured guest for the first time.
Opening the meeting, the Russian President mentioned the particular attention given by the French President to Russian literature and culture. Vladimir Putin noted that Jacques Chirac translated Russian classics many years ago.
The two Presidents talked with Russian writers participating in the 25th Paris book salon.
The meeting participants thanked the French President for the excellent organisation of the book fair, including the Russian section. As Viktor Yerofeev noted, so many writers from Russia had never come to France at once – neither in Pushkin’s time nor in the silver age.
Mr Putin said that such an interest in Russian literature at the fair shows that people feel the nature of relations between our countries.
At the end of the meeting, the Presidents of Russia and France were photographed with Russian writers in the garden of the Elysee Palace.
The head of the Federal Agency for the press and mass communications, Mikhail Seslavinsky gave the Presidents unique books “A century of Russian book art”. He noted that these tomes in Russian and French, which discuss Russian book graphics of the XXth century, have a circulation of only 999 copies.
Over 40 Russian writers of different generations and genres have gathered at the 25th Paris book salon. Among them are Andrei Voznesensky, Daniil Granin, Viktor Yerofeev, Aleksandr Kabakov, Vladimir Makinin, Edvard Radzinsky and Aleksandra Marinina. Three of them – Ol’ga Sedakova, Irina Prokhorova and Vasily Aksyonov – were just awarded the French order “For services in art and literature.”
|
|
March 18, 2005 18:00
Friday
|
Elysee Palace, Paris.Vladimir Putin and Jacques Chirac held one-on-one talks.
|
|
At the centre of attention were relevant international and bilateral Russian-French issues. The Presidents of Russia and France continued the discussion on the main issues of political, economic and cultural cooperation.
Cooperation in the economic sphere was discussed, particularly in aviation and space and energy.
One aspect of the discussion was advancing aviation and space projects, above all programmes for launching Russian carrier rockets from the space centre in Kourou in French Guyana.
|
|
March 18, 2005 18:45
Friday
|
Taverny, France.The Presidents of Russia and France arrived by helicopter at the Air Operations Command Centre in Taverny.
|
|
Vladimir Putin was the first foreign guest whom Jacques Chirac invited to this secret base as a sign of trust and gratitude for the opportunity given to him in April 2004 to visit the Titov Main Centre of Testing and Administration of Space Facilities near Moscow.
The Presidents were met by the commander of air defence of France, General Gaviard. He showed Mr Putin and Mr Chirac a gallery of photographs of French pilots, including pilots of the legendary Normandy-Neman squadron. After this, the general told the President about the tasks of the Air Operations Command Centre.
The leaders of the two countries visited the Situational Centre, which carries out constant control of French airspace. Mr Putin and Mr Chirac were shown an electronic indicator panel. In real time, it shows all the movements of objects in French airspace, and planes flying towards Paris are displayed in a different colour.
Then the Presidents were shown how control of airspace was carried out during last year’s celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the allied landing in Normandy.
On behalf of the French Air Force, Mr Putin was given a present made by air force soldiers. It was a small stylised wing fixed on a granite pedestal.
Mr Putin thanked the command and President Chirac for showing him this sign of trust, and congratulated him on the excellent organisation of the work of the Centre.
The Russian President noted the importance of preserving the memory of pilots of the Second World War – the pilots of Normandy-Neman, who as Mr Putin said fought together heroically with their Russian comrades-in-arms against the Nazis.
The Russian President also said that in 2005, Russia and France were planning to hold joint tactical training.
|
|
March 18, 2005 21:40
Friday
|
Elysee Palace, Paris.The leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Spain held a joint meeting.
|
|
Presidents Vladimir Putin, Jacques Chirac, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero discussed two sets of issues – global and European.
Among the global issues discussed was the situation in the world’s hot spots, including in Lebanon, and ways to deal with global challenges.
As far as European issues were concerned, the main items on the agenda were relations between Russia and the European Union and simplifying the visa regime.
|
|
March 18, 2005 22:30
Friday
|
Paris.Vladimir Putin, Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schroeder and Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero held a press conference following their meeting.
|
|
Mr Putin expressed great satisfaction at the outcome of the informal meeting between the leaders of France, Russia, Germany and Spain.
This, the first meeting in this new four-country format, helped prepare for the Russia-EU summit that will take place in Moscow on May 10, and cleared the way for signing a roadmap for building the four common spaces between Russia and the European Union – in external and internal security, humanitarian issues and culture.
Adding Spain to the traditional Russian-French-German tripartite meeting format will be a real boost for encouraging cooperation and stability in Europe, Mr Putin said.
Mr Putin spoke in favour of extending to the Russia-NATO format the same kind of close and friendly defence cooperation that it has with France.
The four countries adopted a joint communique on Lebanon that affirms their commitment to the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1559.
|
|
Back to event page
Working Visit to France. Quadripartite Meeting in Paris, March 18 - 19, 2005
Printer-Friendly Version
